


to fight the fight

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Genderfluid Character, Non-binary Characters (Original Work) - Freeform, Worldbuilding: Gender Fluid Bonding and Prejudice (Original Work) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 15:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10441134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Juri is no stranger to prejudice but experiencing it on the day she is making it official with her bondmate just totally threw her off.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Starrie_Wolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrie_Wolf/gifts).



Juri’s hand shook as she gazed at the bonding certificate in front of her. The lines for name, address, and birthdate were easily answered but checking off the one of the boxes for gender proved to be more difficult. 

For today, Juri leaned towards the female side of the extensive gender spectrum. She had been presenting as such for the past few weeks. Every encounter her and her bondmate had here was while Juri was using 'she’ pronouns.

They assumed she was female and that couldn't be farther from the truth. Juri never felt like that label fit her. 

“Is something wrong, ma’am?” The clerk sounded genuinely concerned but it only made Juri's stomach twist into knots. Her words were the farthest you could get from comforting.

Beside Juri was her bondmate with a similar expression. “Juri, what is it?”

“Mika it's not one of the updated forms.” Juri spoke low so only Mika could hear. She was a slower reader than Juri. No wonder Juri noticed it first. “I thought most government places had made the changes already.”

“Excuse me, ma'am do you have one of those new forms?” Mika slipped her hand into Juri's and gave it a gentle squeeze.

The woman's nose wrinkled in what Juri pretended was confusion. It was better than thinking it came from a feeling of disgust. Juri had enough of that in her lifetime. She didn’t need it again; especially not when she and her bondmate were finally making it official.

“You need a… new form?”

Juri smiled nervously. “Yes, you know one of the new forms that has multiple gender options rather than just the two?” 

The law recently changed, making sure the government no longer discriminated against those who didn’t just consider themselves either male or female.

While law might evolve, attitudes and prejudices could take a lot longer or be near impossible to change. From the expression the woman's face, Juri knew it would be a fight.

“You have the appearance of a woman,” the clerk practically accused even though it was the truth. “Why not simply check off that box then? You don't need a special form for that.”

Mika went on the attack as soon as those words left the clerk's mouth. “Because she doesn't identify as female all of the time, which is none of your fucking business by the way. So just get us that or I will take great delight in making a very loud and public fuss.”

The woman made an indignant noise but ultimately went to get the form. Juri remained quiet, too embarrassed to say anything. She wasn't embarrassed by Mika's outburst. It was more the fact that people still held such biases.

Juri didn't break down until they reached the truck. Even then, Juri held back the tears. She hated crying in public.

“Juri…”

“Mika, just drive. I don't want to talk about it right now so please drop it for now.”

She nodded and started the car.

The drive home was unusually quiet. Juri couldn't bring herself to start talking for fear of Mika wanting to discuss it.

Making it official with your bondmate was supposed to be a life defining moment you'd always remember. The memory would always be tainted by that woman at the courthouse.

When the truck stopped, Mika started to speak again. “Juri opinions change. Non magics used to be feared with a vengeance. Now the magically inclined have been completely integrated into society. Things eventually do change.”

“That doesn't help me now, Mika. And, it took decades, nearly a century for the magically inclined to be accepted. The only reason they were accepted is because more magic users were suddenly becoming the majority,” Juri snapped.

This made Juri feel even more bitter. Magic being thrust into the majority of society caused people to discover the rare phenomenon that had once been bondmates. 

It went deeper than marriage. You connected on a magical level. Juri hadn't understood what all the fuss was about until it happened to her.

She didn't want to think of what might be in the future. The now worried Juri. Prejudice against those who didn't identify as male or female affected her now. 

It might get better in the future but for Juri's present, it was threatening to ruin what should be a happy moment.

“I'm sorry if I upset you, Juri. That's the last thing I want to do,” Mika murmured. “I just want you to know that it does get better.”

Juri huffed. “It says a lot about our society when they can accept the existence of magic but not that there are people who identify as something other than male and female.”

She walked inside their shared house feeling all talked out. The day's events wore heavily on Juri's mind, making her wish she'd just stick with the old forms.

Juri did not not think of herself as an activist. Some could but Juri shied away from protests. It left Juri with a conflicted feeling because thanks to those people, her gender identity was now legally recognized. 

On the other, Juri was tired of fighting. She'd done it since coming out as a teenager to a very unsupportive family.

Mika came up but behind her, wrapping arms around her waist and head on her shoulder. “Juri, why don't you go lay down? I'll go make us some lunch.”

“Trying to distract me with food? You know me so well,” Juri murmured, leaning back into the embrace ever so slightly.

“We've been together six years. If I didn't know you like the back of my hand, then I couldn't very well call myself your bondmate.”

She pulled away from Mika with a laugh. Sure enough when the food was done Mika woke her up. Juri felt a little rested but her mind still wasn't at ease. 

People would still judge her for not conforming to the ideal gender identities society out up.

“Juri, can I ask you something?”

“I'm not going to like it, am I?”

“You have the option to say no. Just remember that.”

She nodded. “Go ahead then.”

“How would you feel better if I wrote about what happened on my blog?” Mika asked hesitantly. “I am primarily a beauty blog but I feel like this needs to be talked about.”

“I don't know, Mika. It's too soon. Ask me again in a week.”

Mika smiled. “Fair enough.”

Maybe in a couple days Juri would be willing to share it. While she was still reluctant, Juri knew that if someone else went through this, it would be better if they weren't alone.


End file.
